La Jolla Playhouse adds musical to season, unveils residency

LA JOLLA ---- La Jolla Playhouse has announced the sixth show
for its 2011-2012 season, a fairy-tale musical by members of the
New York rock trio GrooveLily.

"Sleeping Beauty Wakes," a modern take on the Sleeping Beauty
tale, completes the previously announced, six-show season that will
kick off in May. The Playhouse concludes its 2010-2011 season
Sunday with the final performances of "Little Miss Sunshine."

The Playhouse Sunday also announced that San Diego's Eveoke
Dance Theatre has been chosen for a one-year residency at its
campus in 2011-2012. Since artistic director Christopher Ashley's
arrival at the Playhouse three years ago, he has offered yearlong
residencies to several homeless theater troupes. Eveoke Dance,
which specializes in modern and hip-hop programming, is the first
dance company to be chosen for a Playhouse residency.

"Sleeping Beauty Wakes," first produced in 2007 at L.A.'s Kirk
Douglas Theatre, is being revived this spring in a co-production by
the Playhouse and McCarter Theatre in Princeton, N.J. It features a
book by Rachel Sheinkin ("The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling
Bee") and score by Brendan Milburn and Valerie Vigoda, members of
the trio GrooveLily. San Diegans have seen two previous GrooveLily
musicals ("Striking 12" at the Old Globe in 2003, and "Long Story
Short" at San Diego Repertory Theatre in 2009). "Sleeping Beauty
Awakes" re-sets the fairy-tale of the enchanted princess in a
modern-day sleep disorder clinic. It will run July 19-Aug. 21.

Other shows previously announced for the 2011-2012 season are:
Arthur Kopit and Anton Dudley's world premiere comedy "A Dram of
Drumchhicit," May 17-June 12; David Schweizer's reimagining of
Henrik Ibsen's classic "Peer Gynt," June 28-July 24; the world
premiere of Kirsten Greenidge's "Milk Like Sugar," Aug. 30-Sept.
25; the world premiere musical adaptation of the movie "Finding
Neverland" (book by Allan Knee, score by Scott Frankel, lyrics by
Michael Korie), Nov. 8-Dec. 11; and the West Coast premiere of
Culture Clash's "American Night: The Ballad of Juan Jose," Jan.
27-Feb. 26, 2012.

Before the 2011-2012 season gets under way, San Diego Asian
American Repertory Theater will present "Flower Drum Song: A
Musical Revival," May 12-June 12 on the Playhouse's campus. SDAART
is the 2010-2011 recipient of the Playhouse's Resident Theatre
Program (previous residents were Mo'olelo Performing Arts and Moxie
Theatre). Since most of San Diego's formerly homeless theater
troupes have established permanent homes, the Playhouse has
expanded the scope of its program to include non-traditional
theater companies, like next season's recipient, Eveoke Dance
Theatre. The residency program not only provides a free performance
space, but also provides Playhouse marketing, technical and
staffing resources to the resident troupes.

"The Resident Theatre Program has become an integral part of the
Playhouse's programming, and we are ecstatic about its success over
the last three seasons," Ashley said in a statement. "We are
especially excited to name Eveoke ---- our first dance organization
---- as the resident company this season, broadening the spectrum
of artistic offerings at the Playhouse. This innovative troupe
brings a fresh vision to each of their projects, with strong ties
to the community through their numerous education and outreach
programs."

"We are incredibly jazzed and grateful about the amazing
opportunity we have to learn from the wisdom of the La Jolla
Playhouse staff and organizational best practices," said Eveoke
Artistic

Director Erika Malone. "This is a rich opening for our
organization to expand, stretch, and deepen the roots that will
sustain us as a passionate and activist dance theater company for
years to come."

Eveoke will be in residence at the Playhouse Sept. 8-25 with a
production of "Las Mariposas," a dance piece inspired by the brutal
murder of three sisters in 1960 in the Dominican Republic. Eveoke
also plans to produce "Refuge," a hip-hop dance theater piece on
gender and sexuality, May 31-June 24, 2012.